OAKHURST — What began as a fun spring outing of family and friends turned into a tragedy today when a man perished in the frigid, fast-moving water of Lewis Creek. Just after 11:30 a.m. this morning, first responders were called out to reports of two people having fallen into the creek just off River Falls Road, below El Cid restaurant ...

OAKHURST — Law enforcement K9 teams will be demonstrating their skills for the public during a special event at Oakhurst Community Park on Saturday, Mar. 26, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Madera County Sheriff’s Office, in cooperation with the Madera County Deputy Sheriff’s Association, has launched a GoFundMe campaign to boost the number of K9 teams available to ...

NORTH FORK — North Fork is about to welcome a long-anticipated business to downtown – a local, natural, seasonally changing market – the “Gnarly Carrot.” Everyone involved with the Kern Family Farm has been working for the past several years to make this dream a reality, and on Apr. 1, their grand opening will celebrate all that hard work. The ...

Written by Lexey Jenkins — COARSEGOLD — LCORT leadership conference was last month at Wonder Valley Ranch in Sanger, for kids age 12-14. LCORT had several sessions on different topics. Some of the topics this year were how to dress and act on an interview, how to think positively, how to introduce a speaker, and how to work well in ...

Written by Yosemite High School Athletic Director Rusty Oetinger — On Tuesday, Mar. 15 the Yosemite boys Golf at Kingsburg defeated Kingsburg in a close match, while the co-ed swim team competed well against Hoover High and had many personal bests. Yosemite boys tennis team is off to a strong start with their victory against Chowchilla at home. Girls Varsity softball ...

MOUNTAIN AREA — Yosemite Area Regional Transportation (YARTS) is celebrating Earth Day by offering free rides on YARTS buses into Yosemite National Park. In 2015, the Park experienced an all-time record number of visitors, welcoming 4,150,217 people. “At YARTS, we want to do our part to help visitors be good stewards of the park and enhance their Yosemite experience by ...

FRESNO — The second of four defendants charged with growing marijuana on public lands in Madera County pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court. Francisco Javier Gomez-Rodriguez, 38, of Mexico, pleaded guilty to conspiring to manufacture, distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana grown in the Sierra National Forest in Madera County. According to court documents, co-defendant Humberto Ceballos-Rangel, ...

Written by Lizz Wiles O’NEALS — Minarets track had their first meet of the season on Saturday, Mar. 5, at Fowler High. We claimed 4th place out of 11 overall teams in the 4×20 relay. Player BK Robinson ran the 1600 meter and claimed 5th place in 5 minutes and 4 seconds. David Fuller tackled the 100 meter and claimed 17 out of 28 at 12 seconds. Lucy Cumming got 5th place ...

COUNTY — The 2016 Madera County Academic Pentathlon culminated with the Super Quiz and Awards Ceremony on Thursday, Mar. 10, naming North Fork School this year’s champion in both the 7th and 8th grade competitions. The North Fork 7th grade team included Moises Agundez, Lauren Bryant, Thor Goodman, Ryan Hough, Vincent Mellana, Kaia Owen, Jeremiah Stott, and Josiah Waltner. The ...

Guest Column written by Bill Ritchey —  NORTH FORK – Sitting at the end of the cul-de-sac of Chipo Poyah Road in Teaford Lakes Meadow stands a 3-story house that 87-year-old retiree George Hathaway has called home since 1986. Like other homes in the cozy neighborhood, Hathaway’s sits nestled among dozens of dense pines. Similarly as well, many of his ...